One Wish
by MadrigalPrism
Summary: Over twenty eight years ago, the daughter of Snow White was stolen by a powerful witch. Raised to be evil. Now she's the mayor of a sleepy town in Maine. No one remembers the past except for a little boy named Henry. He holds a book with a secret. A secret not seen by everyone. With the help of a treasure hunter can he break the curse and bring back Happily Ever After?
1. Chapter 1

**I know everyone is waiting for Lost Magic to be updated. Unfortunately at this point I don't know when that will happen. With summer vacation trying to cook me alive in the sun and my computer catching a virus, I lost everything. Now I either kick my brain into submission to remember my outline or I redo it. I just don't know what to do. **

**While I'm lost in my guilt and suffering from everyone's wrath (I can see it now everyone sharpening their pitchforks and loading the stones into the slingshots), I'm just going to post this. I wrote it last night hoping it would wake up my mind into remembering. No such luck. This is completely un-beta-ed. No idea what happened to my beta. I think summer might have eaten them too. All mistakes are mine. There's probably a billion of them.**

* * *

**Somewhere in Nepal**

Smoke wafted higher into the sky. Citizens of the small village travelled towards it like moths being called to a flame. People shouted words, requests for buckets of water, while others ventured closer to the accident. Moments earlier an explosion turned the village upside down. Its people discovered an overturned vehicle lying in a ditch, smoke pouring from the front and back, flames licking at the now charred shell. They had to stop the fire from spreading. And the possibility of finding a body inside was strong however at this stage there was nothing they could do for the people.

Unfortunately for them, no one would be found in the skeletal remains of the jeep. Its owner was stumbling through the surrounding jungle. Blood ran down the side of a tanned face, various cuts adorned the woman's neck and arms. Her clothes were ruined from the crash and stained from the dirty jungle. A hand clutched her side, bruising was already becoming visible underneath her tanned shirt. She pressed her back against the trunk of a tree, her chest heaved with each breath as she strained to hear anything above her pounding heart. At first nothing just the sweet sounds of the jungle creatures then rustling followed by the hacking of branches.

She knew it was too good to be true in believing they'd think she didn't survive the crash. A silent curse echoed through her mind before she pushed away from the tree. Pain stabbed her side and she knew some of her ribs were broken. Doing her best to ignore it, she began to jog through thick green leaves. She had to put some distance between herself and her pursuers.

When the jungle began to let up, the woman slowed her pace. Brown eyes looked over her shoulder, half expecting her pursuers to be there but found a parrot leaving its perch. Her attention returned to her path, a town waited not too far away, there she could finally get out of this dreadful place. A gunshot went off, the woman ducked behind thick branches. If she survived that long, of course.

Once she got to the town, she ignored some of the strange looks passing her way. The beauty of this place was no one really cared who you were. So long as you didn't cause trouble for the locals, you had free range to do whatever. No one bothered you here even if you were stumbling in after a car crash. Weaving a path through the building, the hand not clutching her side went to her pocket. The object was still here thankfully. She'd hate it if she was forced to retrace her steps. It had already been a pain in the ass to acquire. Just as she turned onto the road leading to her safety, gunshots flew through the town. People were startled, some screamed, everyone hurried out of the way. The woman ducked behind a stack of crates. Peering out, she found the pursuers stalking into the town like they owned the place. She pulled the handgun from the back of her pants and waited.

Her patience paid off for the thugs began to slow their pace in their search. Taking care she lined up the first shot then pulled the trigger three times. Two thugs fell to the ground dead. She noticed a third climbing a ladder to reach the roof that was something she couldn't allow to happen. Opening fire she nailed him in the leg then neck, he fell to the ground and she took her chance. Running out from behind the crates, bullets flew past her, before she dived behind a street vendor's stall. A bullet grazed her shoulder. Fortunately it wasn't enough to slow her down farther.

"Get out here, Mills," yelled a man with a rough voice. "You have something that belongs to me."

The woman noticed a thug trying to sneak closer towards her stall. She didn't like that. This was her stall now. She emptied her magazine in his direction, ending his advancement. Removing the empty magazine, she let out a breath. "I don't know what you're talking about, Hoff. Your mind must be going."

"Don't play stupid with me, you bitch."

"Such language will never get you anywhere with a woman. No wonder you surround yourself with men," countered the dark haired woman.

"Give me back my relic and I might let you live," said the man, his teeth grinding down on the butt of his cigarette. He was middle aged, bald, wearing a thick (most likely bulletproof) vest, dark pants, and boots. His skin was covered by a sheet of sweat, which was surprising considering he owned most of the illegal trade within these jungles for the past thirty years.

"I don't bargain with liars," yelled the woman, sliding a fresh magazine into her gun. It locked with a satisfying click.

"You wound me, Mills. I had hoped it wouldn't come to this." While he spoke, the woman noticed a small hole. It was big enough for her to slide through to get into the building the stall happened to be leaning against. When she got to her feet, hidden from the outside, she wasted no time running up the stairs. Halfway to the roof, a grenade went off blowing the stall to pieces and shaking the building. She nearly lost her footing but managed to hold on at the last minute. Picking up the pace, she burst onto the roof and wasted no time jumping to the next rooftop. Luckily they built everything practically on top of each other which made her job easier.

On the third roof, she opened fire at Hoff and his thugs, knowing they'd be too stupid to realize she took to the rooftops. She could have just left him alone and snuck out, but at some point sooner or later she'd be facing off with him again. One of them was going to leave in a body bag today she was certain of it. While they searched around, trying to pinpoint her location, the woman took off running again. She cleared the jumps between the rooftops with ease that was until a rocket crashed into the building she just landed on. The force shook it down to its weak foundation. Her balance was thrown off as the building began to sink. She used the momentum to her advantage: running down the drooping roof and leaping forward the instant her foot touched its edge.

She crashed through a window, rolling across the floor and into bits of the broken glass. Getting to her feet, the door below was kicked in. She raced for the roof as bullets licked at her boots. Over the gunshots and the closer she got to the top floor, she could vaguely make out the hum of a helicopter. It seemed Hoff was going to stop at nothing for the relic. Busting through the door, she found herself face to face with a black helicopter. Its side door open, revealing a man with a rocket launcher.

"Shit," she cursed, cocking her head to the side. If she's lucky she might be able to outrun the main blast. Then something unexpected happened, the man with the weapon changed his aim and launched the rocket at several of Hoff's men.

He removed his helmet, gave the woman a cocky grin, "Need a lift, beautiful?"

The woman shook her head but still walked towards the chopper. "What took you so long, Martin?" She allowed him to help her inside. Her ribs were killing her now that the chase was over.

"The wife was raising hell," he said sliding the door shut and signaling for the pilot to leave. "You've looked better, Regina."

"You're no beauty queen yourself."

They shared a laugh as the helicopter flew away. None of the bullets below could stop its escape.

**Four months later**

Regina unlocked the door to her small yet comfortable apartment in Boston. Another assignment was finished successfully and faster than her client expected for he gave her a handsome bonus. It wasn't necessary but who was she to object? Now her bills could be paid for another year. Tossing her keys into the small bowl by the door, she dropped her bag to the side before stripping off her jacket. Her ribs were healing nicely. Luckily she hadn't broken them but severely bruised them in the crash. The doctors told her it could have been much worse. She touched her necklace, a gift from her father before he passed away, and knew without it she wouldn't be here now. It was more than a good luck charm. It was her guardian angel, regardless of how silly it seemed, she never went anywhere without it.

After pouring a glass of scotch, the only thing she allowed herself to indulge in, she stood in front of the large window. It'd be nice to have a balcony for nights such as these. She could listen to the city speak, feel its life, and take in the lights blocking out the stars but that was one luxury she couldn't afford. A minute late, she turned to the dark kitchen where a single box resided. On her way home, she picked up a little treat. Today was a somewhat special day. Her birthday.

Before she could enjoy the small pastry, there was a knock at her door. She tipped the remaining scotch back, something she rarely did and felt it burn her throat. Work never allowed her to enjoy a drink. Upon opening the door, she found no one was there. Regina frowned then she looked down expecting to find an envelope instead she was staring into dark eyes, a smiling face with dark neatly combed hair.

"Can I help you?" she asked crossing her arms over her chest as she leaned against the door frame. She watched the child fighting to keep his smile contained with no such luck.

"Are you Regina Mills?" he asked, the smile making his eyes shine.

"Yes," the brunette answered cautiously. This wasn't about work. No one she knew sent a kid with information.

"I'm Henry," he introduced himself before adding with a growing smile, "Your son."

In her dumbfounded state, she barely registered the boy brushing past her and entering her apartment. Regina's mind kicked into action as she closed the door. She didn't have a son. Sure she got pregnant ten years ago but she gave up the child after witnessing her fiancée's murder. She wanted the baby to be safe and protected, something she couldn't give him. Didn't she make it a closed adoption? Regina swore she did then how did he find her?

Slowly turning around she found the boy sitting at the kitchen island, his tiny legs swinging back and forth. He did bare a resemblance to Daniel. No, she shook her head that was the scotch talking. But she knew it wasn't. One glass of scotch never impaired her judgment let alone cloud her thinking. "Henry," she said. The moment his name left her lips, his smile returned in full and he looked away from examining her very bland apartment. "Would you like something to drink?" Her mind continued to struggle with the boy actually being here.

"Sure," he said before turning his attention back to observing the apartment. Henry was curious about his birth mother. He wanted to learn everything there was about her. Maybe if he stayed here longer he could absorb everything he missed, the life he could have had.

Regina let out a breath and walked to the stainless steel fridge. She doubted there was anything inside still edible seeing as how she'd been out of the country for eight months. The sudden light blinded her briefly and much to her surprise it was fully stocked. She made a mental note to thank her landlady and Martin. He must have mentioned something about her returning. Pouring two glasses of orange juice, she place one in front of the child. "How did you find me?"

He took a sip, his eyes wandering around the room. "How come you don't have any pictures on the walls?"

"Because I don't have any."

"Why?"

Regina arched an eyebrow, "How about this: you tell me how you found me and I'll tell you why I don't have pictures?"

The child thought it over and shook his head. He took a drink from his glass before noticing the small light blue pastry box. He looked to his birth mother, the unasked question hovered in the air. To his surprise she nodded faintly, granting him the permission to open it. Inside he discovered a triple chocolate with cherry frosting cupcake.

"You can have it if you want," said Regina. She was no longer in the mood for the small treat.

Henry's smile faded away. "My mom won't let me have sugar."

"Any of it?" She watched him shake his head. Her eyebrows raised in surprise. What parent banished sugar like it was on the top ten terrorist list? A little bit wasn't going to kill a child. Still in disbelief, Regina took a knife from the drawer and sliced the little pastry in half. "What do you say to half a cupcake then?" When he still shook his head, she pushed one half closer to him after she took the other. "I won't tell if you won't. It'll be our little secret."

Upon hearing that, the smile returned to his face. He picked up his piece, examined it before looking to the woman.

"On three," Regina found herself smiling back at the child. "One." Both had the cupcake halves in their hands. "Two." They raised the food closer to their mouths.

"Three!" said Henry stuffing the cupcake into his mouth at the same time his birth mother did. He was smiling while he chewed. The cupcake was delicious, an explosion of tastes that made his mouth water more. He took a large gulp of orange juice before a laugh left his lips. As he opened his mouth to ask a question, the words left him because she was shaking her head.

"You can't stay here," said Regina, her fingertips stoking the condensation from the glass. "Get your things, I'm taking you back to your mother."

"But you're my mom."

"Henry, I gave you up to be safe. You'll never be safe with me. Besides your mom is worried to death about you right now."

"No, she's not," protested Henry, "She doesn't care about me. Why can't I live with you here?"

"I barely live here," countered Regina gesturing to the bareness of the place. "I'm gone for months at a time. None of my trips are friendly, let alone safe."

"So I could stay here till you get back."

"In a city ten times larger than the small town you came from, I'm guessing from the bus ticket sticking out of your pocket, I don't think so. This isn't a friendly neighborhood and worse if child services found a ten year old leaving alone eight out of twelve months every year, you'd go back in the system." Regina shook her head, "Sorry, Henry, but I'm taking you home." She raised her finger to stop him from countering, "No protests. Grab your things."

Ten minutes later, a green jeep was signalling to turn onto the highway. Inside the radio played or rather the host was talking about the upcoming batch of great music he had coming their way. Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at the child. "Why did you come looking for me?" It was the question nagging at her mind since he sat down in her apartment.

"Because I need your help."

"My help?" she asked in disbelief, "And this is something your own mother can't help you with?"

"Exactly," agreed Henry. "My mom hardly has time for me and she'd never understand but I know you will." He reached into his backpack to extract a large book. Judging from its size she was surprised he was able to fit it into his backpack then again she's acquired some relics and hidden them in containers smaller than recommended. "Do you believe in fairy tales?"

"Fairy tales?" Regina thought it over. Most of her life she spent chasing down items from the past, things claimed to be nothing more than myths and legends. In those cases she had actual proof to go on, a starting point where she could trace a path back to its origins. But fairy tales were stories about people's lives. They could be based on fact or fiction, neither one mattered because they were nothing more than children's bedtime stories. "Can't say that I do."

"Why not?"

"Because they're just stories," said Regina, "Nothing about them indicates they actually happened or even that these people existed."

"They are real! Storybrooke is where they were banished to by my mother."

The way he sounded so convinced about it actually being true made Regina ask, "And no one's revolted against your mother?"

"The curse took away their memories. Nobody knows who they really are. Ask any of them about something in the past and they can't answer. It's like a fog is covering their real identities up," explained Henry, clutching his book. "The book knows the truth. It can help us break the curse."

"Whoa, slow down there. Us? I haven't agreed to anything here." Regina glanced at the book before her eyes went back to the road. "Henry, books are just books. Their stories aren't always real. Sometimes they are but there is evidence in history to confirm it. Fairy tale characters have never been proven to exist outside of their stories." She sighed when he didn't answer instead choosing to act as a child by sulking in the passenger seat. "Listen, I know what you're going through. I was your age when my childhood started to suck. But that doesn't make your mother out to be an evil fairytale character."

"Why won't you believe me?"

"As an adult we don't believe in kid's stuff anymore because those things we loved as a child were nothing more than make belief. Just something to keep us entertained." It might not have been the smartest thing to do. Break a child's imagination down with the harsh reality of life because after she said those words the car ride was uncomfortably quiet. Occasionally the turning of a page cut through the low music. Regina clicked one of the small lights on to make sure he didn't strain his eyes.

The town sign looked no different than any other sign greeting visitors to a small town. She had been right in her earlier assumption. One turn onto the main road confirmed that Henry never would have survived in Boston. Here he was safe and could feel protect no matter what happened, this was the ideal place for him and the one she wanted him to be in. She slowed down when they got to the residential houses. She hoped to make an easy hand off, a simple 'here's your son, don't know why he looked for me, don't worry I'm not here to take him, he's all yours' followed by the drive back to her apartment for some much needed sleep. The child next to her didn't acknowledge any of the houses. He wasn't going to make this easy on her.

"Which one is yours?" she asked softly, switching off the radio.

"It's not on this street," muttered Henry. He closed his book, slipping it back into the space between his feet where his backpack rested.

"Will you tell me what street it is on? You're not living in a trailer are you?" Henry shook his head and began to feed her directions albeit in muttering tones that she sometimes didn't catch.

The jeep eased to a stop in front of an immaculate garden. The bushes were perfectly trimmed, their tops straight, the grass no longer than an inch in length, and if she had to guess the flowers were in full bloom during the day. Past the gardens stood a large house, painted white, and any hopes of making an easy unnoticeable escape back to her boring apartment flew out the window.

"Your mother," started Regina, "who is she in this town?"

"The mayor." Henry made no attempts to get out of the car.

Regina sighed, fighting down the frustration. "Great," she whispered, "you're not making this easy." She pushed the door with more force than she intended to, it creaked its protest into the silent night. Rounding the car, she opened the passenger side, "Don't make me carry you to the door," she warned when he refused to budge.

"You can't make me go back," objected the child.

"I believe I can and just did. Shall I ring the doorbell and let your mom carry you inside? I'm sure she'll love that." He gave her the look that said 'You wouldn't' causing her to return a look saying she would. He grumbled under his breath as he unclipped the seat belt, grabbed his backpack and slid out of the car. His birthmother patted his back as they walked up the cobble stone path leading to the front door. Not even halfway up the front door was thrown open, a woman came rushing out.

"Henry!" The relief in her voice was obvious to see as were the tears lacing her eyes. Regina's heart went out to the woman. It's never easy dealing with a missing person who leaves behind no trace of wanting to be found.

The woman threw her arms around Henry, pulling him against her body in a tight embrace. "Henry, I was so worried about you! Where did you go? Don't ever do that to me again."

Henry made no effort to return the hug. He frowned until she pulled away from him. "I found my real mom!" He threw out the words before racing inside leaving behind two very stunned women at the anger in his tone.

The mayor straightened her stance. Her blonde hair was done up in a tight bun, not a single strand fell out of place. It was then she noticed the woman standing a little to the left where her son had been. Shock still covered her beautiful face and she soothed down the sides of her deep red dress. "You…" the words left her.

"Was just leaving," finished Regina, taking a step back towards her car. She had a bad feeling about this. Henry was back where he belonged and she didn't want to overstay her unexpected welcome. Some of the shock must have finally worn off for the woman shook her head.

"Nonsense," she forced a smile to her tired face, "Why don't you come in for a drink? It's the least I can offer for your troubles."

A drink sounded tempting right now. Regina nodded, "Why not?"

* * *

**If you survived past my mistakes and actually liked this, let me know. I might just continue it unless I melt in the heat waves. I feel like the Wicked Witch in the Wizard of Oz. Except her weakness was water. Not the sun. Or the humidity. And she was green. If she didn't like water then she never must have bathed huh? She must be awfully smelly. No wonder water killed her. It acted like acid to all the dirt. **


	2. Chapter 2

"What is that you do, Miss…?"

Brown eyes left the wall for a brief moment to look at the blonde woman pouring twin drinks. "Regina Mills."

"Miss Mills." Henry's mother smiled a smile that didn't reach her eyes as she handed over the glass.

"I'm a museum curator in Boston," answered Regina, "It's nothing special. Pays the bills." She looked to the right while taking a drink. From what she already saw of the house it felt like a museum, making the lie all the easier to come up with. Part of her didn't blame Henry from running away. This place was spotless and cold. Nothing about it felt inviting like a home should be. Perhaps it was a reflection of its owner.

The blonde woman took a seat, looking every bit as regal and poised as most of her clients. "I hope this accident doesn't make you think I'm a bad mother."

"Hm?" Regina raised an eyebrow before shaking her head. "Oh no, not at all. I'm sure he had his reasons for running away." She noticed several small chests resting on various sleeves. They didn't appear to be worth something and she doubted the contents were valuable. They were odd pieces of décor to have in a study. "I'm just a bit surprised he went all the way to Boston."

"My son is very focused when he puts his mind to something." The pride oozed out of the woman's mouth. "This doesn't mean anything," she said after a few moments. "Under no circumstances does this mean you can be a part of Henry's life. You gave-"

Regina raised a hand to stop the woman from going on. "I know," she said. "I only came here to drop him off. I don't want anything in return." Tilting the remaining cider into her mouth, it didn't burn like her usual drink of scotch, she placed the glass on the table. "Thank you for the drink. I'll show myself out."

Once the relic hunter was out of the house a cool breeze brushed past her. It wiped away the uncomfortable feeling from her bones. There was something about Henry's adoptive mother that felt closed off. Her eyes never shined with any emotion even when she spoke prideful things of the child. It didn't feel like a mother's love. Regina stopped at her jeep and looked back at the house. She caught sight of Henry looked out his window, watching her.

She gave a smile and waved her goodbye to the kid, knowing here was where he belonged. He could have anything he wanted especially a better future than what she had. She wanted him away from the dangers of the world and while he might think this sleepy town is miserable, Regina thought it was the perfect place for him to grow up in. Getting into her car the woman wasted no time in retracing her route out of Storybrooke while Henry remained by his window, praying with all his tiny might that his birthmother would stay.

As she neared the edge of town a guttural noise sprang from her engine. Regina shook her head, pleading with the jeep to make it to Boston. She had no plans of staying longer than she needed to in this place. And this could not be happening. The town sign grew closer as her jeep slowed to a stop. It made one last noise before the engine fell silent. Regina rested her head against the steering wheel, "This is not happening," she muttered.

Grabbing the flashlight she kept in the side pocket of the driver's door, she got out and popped the hood. Part of her was hoping this would be an easy fix. A simple solution that could last until she got back to her apartment then in the morning she could have Martin take a look at it. Unfortunately it wasn't meant to be. Smoke poured from the depths of the engine causing her to step back coughing. Waving it aside she searched for the problem only to find the transmission blown.

Regina cursed and kicked the side of the front tire. A dull throb pulsed through her foot as she was left with no choice but to walk back into Storybrooke.

**Next morning**

Sunlight filtered through the window casting a bright glow into the room. A figure stirred in the bed, her groan muffled by thick blankets. However when she rolled onto her side pain flared up as her still healing ribs acted in protest to her movement. The bed was uncomfortable and hard, the smell of the sheets weren't of her startling her awake. She threw the covers from her body and jumped out of bed. In her haze she had forgotten where she took up residence for the night until her eyes fell on the window.

A sigh left her lips as she relaxed her arms, in her hands were her car keys, poised and ready for an attack. Regina scratched her forehead before looking around the room. She had walked back into town after she realized there was no possible way for her to fix her car. It took her a while but she found the little Bed and Breakfast albeit with its roots and dirt covered walkway. Tossing her keys onto the bed she made her way to the bathroom. This wasn't anything a hot shower couldn't solve.

When she was dressed she made her way downstairs to find the little inn deserted. The quirk of an eyebrow showed her surprise. Regina made her way behind the desk, knowing she wasn't going to be caught, she looked for the phone book. It was covered by a thick layer of dust making her wonder if things were ever updated in this town. Looking up the number of the local mechanic she wasted no time in dialing as she walked out the door.

People were getting ready to start the day. It seemed everyone in Storybrooke was out and about. When they saw the brunette walking down the street, they took notice. It wasn't normal for them to get visitors. The people weren't wary of her more so curious. Regina had been the scrutiny of these looks before except that was halfway across the globe. She did her due by smiling and remaining polite as she came up to the mechanic shop.

"Hi," said a man with a five o'clock shadow, "Can I help you?"

"Yes, my transmission disagreed with me last night and I was hoping you'd be able to convince it otherwise."

"It's what we do, ma'am," he said with a smile.

"Call me Regina," she introduced, "Problem is my car gave up just before the town sign."

"I'll get my tow truck. I'm Michael by the way."

The drive to pick up her jeep and bring it back to the shop took no longer than twenty minutes. During that time she made small talk with Michael, learning a few tadbits about the town and its illustrious mayor (Henry's mother). She was a woman of control and order, nothing was out of her reach and in short she kept this town functioning even through the tough economic times, with the exception of the clock tower as Regina commented getting a laugh from the mechanic. He went on to tell her every time they fixed it, it always broke.

Unfortunately the transmission was going to take longer to fix than she would have liked. If he was able to get the parts in time she'd be able to leave by the end of the week. If not then it could take up to a month. Michael told her if she preferred to come back later she could take the bus back to Boston and he'd give her a ring once the jeep was fixed. She said it was tempting but she had time to wait it out for the week. After handing over her number for when the car would be fixed, he directed her to Granny's Diner, the best place for food in town.

Now she sat with the morning paper in front of her and a cup of tea, wondering what she was going to do. Faintly the diner's bell rang in the background though she paid it little attention until someone sank into the both across from her.

"You stayed!" beamed Henry.

"Shouldn't you be in school?"

Before Henry could answer the voice of his mother cut in, "Henry, sweetie, you have a dentist appointment. It's not polite to bother others." Her tone fell towards the last words as she noticed the brunette from last night. "Miss Mills."

The harsh, biting tone tore Regina away from her paper, "Madame Mayor."

"I thought you were leaving." The words were clipped and accusing.

"I was," agreed Regina, "But my car decided otherwise."

The muscles in Emma's jaw tightened as she forced the next words out, "And for how long will you be staying?"

The relic hunter smiled, "A week sounds good to me," she looked to Henry and winked at him, "Might do some sightseeing of your lovely town. Got to make sure it isn't too dangerous for Henry."

"I assure you Storybrooke is perfectly safe," said Emma, her hand resting possessively on her son's shoulder.

"There might be goblins hidden in the shadows. They love little children," she said in a low tone. Henry's eyes widened as he pressed his back against the cushioned booth, playing along with her teasing. A tiny gasp escaped his lips. "When you least expect them, they reach out and grab ya!"

"Miss Mills!"

Regina shrugged, "I've seen it happen."

"As I said before Storybrooke is perfectly safe. We have one of the best police force in the state looking out for our people." Just then the sheriff walked in and nodded a greeting to the mayor. The greeting didn't go unnoticed by the brunette. "Sheriff Graham is our finest officer."

"Have him wrapped around our finger now do we?" muttered Regina, taking a sip from her tea.

"Excuse me?"

"I said I'm sure he is," covered the woman. "He looks very capable of keeping your town safe."

"Come along Henry, we don't want to be late," said the mayor after giving a crossed look at the newcomer. She almost pulled her son from his spot.

Henry waved, "Bye Regina!"

Just as she was about to go back to the paper her booth was invaded by another person. "Can I help you, Sheriff?"

"Just here to get your angle," said Graham, coffee cup in hand.

"My angle is to wait for my car to be fixed then leave. Is there a problem with that?"

"Not at all," answered Graham, "Don't start any trouble." He added after observing her for a few minutes.

"Not planning on it. Good day, Sheriff." She rose from her seat, put a bill on the table as a tip, and headed towards the door.

"If you need help looking around town-"

Regina let a small chuckle escape her lips, "You're cute, Sheriff, but not that cute. I'll find my way around. It's not like I'm in Nepal." With that she left the diner and took a right, no destination in mind. It was odd relaxing in a foreign town. Usually there was a reason for her to be here. Not this time. That felt strange, different, even somewhat unnerving. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

"Sidney," smiled the mayor, "take a seat."

The dark skinned man nervously fiddled with his hat. He walked farther into the office and felt his heart race. It wasn't normal of the mayor to call him in. Usually when she wanted something she called him. This was a new experience for him. He cautiously sank into the chair, feeling the leather crinkle under his weight. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he waited patiently.

"I'm sure you've heard of our new visitor."

"Henry's birthmother," Sidney quickly regretted his choice of words. He avoided eye contact and covered his words, "I mean the woman who found Henry."

"Yes," the mayor's lips were pressed together into a hard line. "I want you to find out everything you can about her. From where she grew up to what her first job was. Find everything and bring it to me."

Sidney nodded, "Yes, Madame Mayor." He rose from his seat, nearly dropping his hat.

"Oh and Sidney?" Emma didn't look up from her paperwork when she spoke her next words, "You have until tonight."

* * *

Henry looked around the playground. Lunch was coming to an end and soon everyone would be called back into class. He, however, had other plans. A plan that didn't include going to the rest of his classes, instead he grabbed his backpack, carefully slipped it onto his shoulders and walked towards the basketball courts. From there he looked around, when no one noticed him, he slipped into the forest surrounding his school. Running as fast as his tiny legs could carry him, a wide smile spread to his lips. Phase one was complete. Phase two was in the beginning stages.

"If I were new, where would I go?" he asked himself when he stopped for a small rest. Problem was he couldn't narrow anything down. He didn't know much about his birth mother. What could she be interested in especially in this town? He frowned, searching his mind for any clues. While becoming lost in thought he began walking towards town.

* * *

"Where are you?"

Regina chuckled and sighed, "In a sleepy town." She walked along the boardwalk. Her brown eyes cast out to the water.

"Why?" asked the other voice on the phone.

"Oh it's a long story. What have you got for me?"

"You're not in trouble again are you?"

"Am I ever in trouble?" Regina paused, "If you value our friendship, Martin, you won't answer that."

The man laughed, "Wasn't going to. Anyway, got some news for you. It turns out the relic we found in Nepal did belong to Hoff after all. He uncovered it in the late 90's."

"Then why keep it in the temple? It was like he was baiting someone to come after it."

"Not just anyone either. He wanted you," said Martin. "I'm still trying to figure out why. But I get the feeling this has something to do with Daniel's last trip."

"The one in Serbia? There's no connection between the two places."

"No," agreed Martin, "It's not the places Hoff is interested in but the client."

Regina turned around to find a man waiting for her. He was leaning on a cane with gloved hands. The ends of his coat swayed slightly from the breeze. There was no mistaking who he was. The strange part, however, was seeing him here. When she met his gaze, he smiled the same toothy grin he had when she handed over the relic. "Get me what you can. I'll call you back."

"This is a pleasant surprise, Miss Mills," said the gentleman when she ended her call.

"Mr. Gold," she greeted. One glance over her shoulder showed she was trapped on the docks.

"I must really commend you for a job well done in Nepal and for coming here to be with your son," said the shop keeper. "Henry is a gifted little boy. Precious really. I'd keep an eye on him."

"What are you talking about?"

"One can never be too careful when it comes to family," said Mr. Gold. "Enjoy your stay." The elderly man turned on his heel and limped his way back to the shore.

His words left a bad feeling in Regina's heart. There was more to this town than met the eye. And the biggest mystery was the man who once hired her to find something months earlier. Something that was now stolen property.

* * *

**I have a plan for this story. What the plan is I do not know yet. Things are connected on a strange level. I knew I should have put mystery and adventure in the genre. Oh I'm hopeless. FYI Hoff is a fairytale character. Now is Martin? I dunno. Watch out for goblins, children!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I miss my beta :( **

* * *

Window shopping was never her thing. She was the type to go into a store, buy what she needed, and leave. This was an exception. After receiving a surprise visit from Mr. Gold, Regina decided to follow him. Something about his appearance in this town was unsettling yet why she felt this way she didn't know. She hardly knew this town, let alone its secrets, and she had no plans on finding them out. Then why was she compelled to follow after this elderly man?

The conversation she had with Martin echoed in her mind. Hoff had used her to get the relic out of Nepal, but why? It was a priceless gem. Nothing more. Even the history behind it was lacking from any supposed curses or legends. Still Regina didn't like being used. And now she couldn't help think Hoff and Mr. Gold were working together.

Glancing over her shoulder she watched the handicapped man enter a pawn shop. There was no mistaking he owned it though it made no sense. If he was the owner of a small pawn shop in the middle of nowhere how did he have the money to pay her to find ancient treasures and priceless artifacts? The sum of money she received for the task couldn't come from a small time business. Not to mention he couldn't be able to pawn it off to anyone in town. Something didn't feel right about this and to make matters worse she couldn't put her finger on it.

Taking one last look at the items in the store window Regina turned to head in the direction of the pawn shop when someone cut her off. "I knew I'd find you!" beamed Henry.

Regina looked from the store back to the child, "Ditching school are we?"

"Not exactly," said Henry, "Besides this is more important." Before Regina could ask what he was talking about he grabbed her hand and dragged her away from Main Street. Her business with Mr. Gold was put on hold.

Henry led her down the alley where they then followed a series of twists and turns until they were far away from the shops. Gentle waves caressed the rocks as the sun shined in the distance, illuminating the boats tied to the harbor. The child released her hand, slipped his backpack off, and headed to the picnic table. "Come on," he called out to his birthmother eagerly.

The book he read in her car on the way back to Storybrooke rested on the table. Regina quirked an eyebrow at the object, "If this is about fairytales…"

"It's more than just that," interrupted Henry. He flipped through the pages, searching for a certain story. "My mom cursed everyone here. They can't remember a single thing about who they really are, but you can break the curse. It's why I had to find you."

"Henry, it's just a story. Make belief."

"No," Henry shook his head, "Look." He turned the book around to a picture of the Evil Queen. "See, it's my mom."

"It's not. They might look similar but that doesn't mean it's her. Your mom loves you. Sure you're not going to agree with everything she says, but still she is your mother," said Regina. "What makes you believe she is this Evil Queen?"

"Henry!" The harsh tone ripped away anything the child was planning on saying. Instantly the book disappeared and he was staring wide eyed at his mother stalking towards him.

"I should have known," snapped Emma, "that he'd be with you. I thought I had made myself perfectly clear last night, Miss Mills, but allow me to repeat myself. Stay away from my son. You can't take him out of school just because you're staying in town."

"I didn't," said Regina.

The mayor didn't believe her instead she grabbed her son, "Go wait in the car."

"But-" Henry began to object.

"Now." The word was enough to tell him this wasn't up for discussion. Henry hung his head and sulked his way to his mother's car. "Miss Mills," began Emma when her son climbed into the back seat and slammed the door, "What do you think you're doing?"

"Enjoying the view," replied Regina looking out to the docks. "I've always wanted to go sailing. Do you know when the tours are?"

"Don't play games with me."

"It was a question."

Emma stepped in front of the brunette, blocking her view of the docks. Green eyes burned into brown yet neither woman backed down. "Stay. Away. From. My. Son," warned the mayor.

"Of course, Madame Mayor," nodded Regina, "But good luck keeping him away from me." A smile slowly spread to her red lips, "He found me for a reason and I plan to find out what that is."

"Don't," said Emma, "You're going to get on the first bus out of town and return to Boston. Storybrooke is no place for someone like you. You don't belong here. Let alone in Henry's life. He was happy before you showed up."

"Then why did he come find me?"

The mayor's frown deepened, "Don't make this more difficult than it has to be. You have no idea what I'm capable of."

"I'm terrified," mocked Regina. She wasn't going to back down to this woman after all she hadn't done anything wrong yet. She could tell the mayor wanted to say more instead the elegant woman turned on her heel and headed towards her car. "Madame Mayor," Regina called out, "You never answered my question."

And she wasn't going to get one for Emma had stopped long enough to hear the words before climbing into the car and speeding away. A smile came to Regina's lips, this woman was riled up merely because an outsider was in town. While she was no stranger to local hostility, this was something new and it screamed there was something hiding beneath this picturesque little town. As she turned to look back at the docks, her foot came into contact with a hard object. Looking under the table she found Henry's book lying half covered in the sand.

* * *

"Go to your room," were the first words to fall from dark lips when the front door opened. The mayor was furious. "And do your homework."

Henry walked halfway up the stairs before he stopped, "What did you say to her?"

"Nothing," said Emma, "Now do your homework."

"You threatened her didn't you?"

"Henry," warned his mother.

"No, why do you always have to be so controlling? What if I do want her in my life? She's my mother! You're not!" He stormed up the remaining steps to his room and slammed the door leaving his stunned mother behind.

Emma's bad mood worsened. She bit back the harsh tears threatening to spill and walked into her study. Pouring a glass of apple cider she moved to the window. The stinging words repeated themselves in her mind. It wasn't the first time he had said them. Before he found his birthmother they had an argument and he threw the word adoption in her face like a slap. How he found out she didn't know. Whoever told him was going to pay because she loved her son more than anything.

Taking a sip from the liquor she let it burn her tongue and throat as green eyes looked to the apple tree in the backyard. Perhaps she had been a bit harsh to the woman. She was just visiting. Nevertheless Emma felt threatened. This woman, Henry's birthmother, was a threat without even realizing it.

The mayor had complete control over Storybrooke. She knew the comings and goings of everyone. What they strived for, what they did, what they couldn't do, she knew everything. This was the place where she ruled and nothing was out of her sight. Until Henry left and came back with that woman. A woman she didn't know, a stranger she couldn't place. Miss Mills, in other words, was an enigma. What she did in Storybrooke could begin to unravel the delicate threads Emma put in place. She couldn't allow that to happen. Even now the relationship with her son continued to suffer more.

A sigh left her lips as she finished her drink slowly. It allowed her to work up to her next course of action. She wasn't going to apologize for the way she acted. She was just a mother protecting her son. He was hers, not Miss Mills.

Soothing out her clothes Emma walked through the house in search of a certain basket. Maybe, just maybe, this could lessen her son's anger towards her.

* * *

Regina made her way back to the inn. She had seen enough for one day. First the little conversation with Mr. Gold then the mishap involving the mayor, she worried if she stayed out longer another bump in the road would take place. This was a strange, strange town. Shaking her head she made her way inside only to be stopped by the elderly woman who ran the inn.

"You got a package today," she said much to Regina's surprise.

"From who?"

"It doesn't say," the elderly woman pulled out a thick yellow envelope from behind the counter and handed it over, "How are you enjoying your stay?"

Regina looked at the writing on the envelope and knew who it was from. She offered the woman a smile, "Good, it's been eventful. I never would have thought your mayor is such a ray of sunshine."

The elderly woman appeared to be taken back by those words. She didn't say anything as she watched the brunette walk up to her room. Had she just heard right?

Regina placed the envelope on the table. It was from Martin containing information about Hoff and their client, Mr. Gold. For now she didn't want to read about it. It could wait. There was something nagging at her mind. She looked at Henry's book. The title written in gold: _Once Upon A Time._ The classic words that began every fairytale. While she didn't believe him that this town was cursed, she did agree something was strange about it and its people.

When she was a little girl her father read her stories about knights slaying dragons, defending the town from evil witches, and being protectors. But that had been a long time ago and those stories were centuries old. Written in a time when people wore armor, were ruled by kings, and didn't have the technology of today. She never thought of them as being real. To have her son show up after ten years saying he needs her help because his town holds the origins to every fable from long ago is a hard pill to swallow. Besides she was certain this book was the same as the other fairytale versions out there.

Flipping open to the first page Regina kicked back and began to read. After all who could resist a story about slaying dragons and true love?

Halfway through the book there was a knock on her door. She wasn't expecting company although part of her suspected Henry managed to slip away from his mother again. Regina sighed she was going to have to talk to him about that. He can't just run away from his home just to hang out with her. The mayor was his mother, not her. Besides once the week was over she'd return to Boston. Where she could get back to work, hoping Mr. Gold wouldn't be her client again.

When Regina opened the door she was in for a surprise. Expecting to see Henry she came face to face with the very woman who had threatened her earlier in the day. The mayor wore a warm smile causing alarm bells to go off in her mind. "This is unexpected," said Regina. Her eyes flicked down to the basket of red apples then back to Emma's face.

"I realize I was a bit harsh this afternoon," said Emma.

"You're apologizing?" Regina gave her a questioning look, "Then what's with the apples?"

"Consider them a peace offering," answered Emma, offering the basket to the other woman. "You're a visitor in my town and I haven't been very welcoming of you. They're from my garden. The finest apples in all of Storybrooke."

"This is unexpected," she repeated, taking the basket from the mayor, "Henry's not putting you up to this is he?" She noticed the mayor's jaw tighten at the mention of the child but it disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"No, but I realized I would still be looking for him had you not brought him back," said Emma with a smile. She didn't wait for the brunette to grant her entrance instead she strolled into the room like she owned the place. "Had you wanted to, you could have run away with him. But you brought him back home, where he belongs."

"Yeah," said Regina, closing the door, still confused as to why the mayor was here and saying these things. "You are his mother. Why would I take him?"

Emma's smile widened, "Then we did get off on the wrong foot. I was under the impression you were staying in town to see how I was raising my son."

"Oh no," Regina set the basket on the dresser, "Like I said my car broke down leaving me no choice but to stay. Henry looks like a healthy ten year old. And honestly it looks like you can give him anything he wants. Why would I take him away from that?"

"My thoughts exactly. He belongs here and I'm glad you understand that." Emma noticed the yellow envelope lying on the desk. It sparked her curiosity. Why would this woman be receiving mail here? She looked at the clock. Sidney better have her information by the hour. "Since you'll be here for the week, why don't you allow me to show you around? I'm sure Henry will like it too."

Regina had every intention of refusing the offer until the mayor mentioned Henry. Should she refuse now the boy would only seek her out, getting them both into more trouble. She preferred not to have another repeat of this afternoon. Yet if she did accept she'd have no time to investigate Gold and his little pawn shop. Part of her doubted the mayor would be very forth coming with answers to any of her citizens. Not to mention it might give off the wrong impression. Trapped in this ultimatum, Regina smiled, "Sure." She picked up an apple. Where's the harm in that?

**End of the Week**

The week passed by faster than she had expected. Being nice to the stranger worked like a charm. It allowed Emma the chance to keep an eye on her and on Henry. While Henry was ecstatic to hang out with his birthmother, a fact that pained her greatly and broke her heart with each smile he gave her, she knew it would soon come to an end. Once she left things would return to normal. Henry was bound to come back to her, where he belonged. The information she received from Sidney was locked away in her drawer. She hadn't had time to read it through. Perhaps there would be no need for it either. Regardless of how curious the mayor was.

This morning she discovered the woman's jeep was fixed. There was no need for her to stay longer and now Emma was anxiously waiting for the hours to tick by until she was gone. The news put her in a good mood. She even went so far as cancelling her appointments that afternoon. In her eyes it would be better if she picked up Henry from school and comforted him once the woman left. It was a minor attachment her son grew, one she had no problem severing if need be.

**Park**

"You can't leave!" protested Henry, "We still have to break the curse."

"Henry," interjected Regina. She mentally rolled her eyes at the mention of his fairytales and the supposed curse. From what she saw this town was like any other small town. The child's imagination wanted it to be so much more. She couldn't blame him. Storybrooke was a dud. Even she found this week to be exhausting in comparison to her line of work.

"You noticed didn't you? You know it's true," said Henry hopefully.

Regina shook her head, "Just because you believe in something doesn't make it real."

"That's exactly what makes it real. You can't leave."

"You're pretty convinced on this huh?"

Henry nodded, "No one grows old in this town. We haven't had a funeral in years. Storybrooke isn't normal." As the boy went on with his observations as to what made his town different than all the others Regina reached into her pocket and pulled out an apple. She had skipped lunch however when she was about to take a bite Henry let out a startled cry.

"What?"

He grabbed the apple from her hand, "Where did you get that?"

"Your mom."

"You can't eat it."

"It's not poisoned. She gave me a basket of them. Besides it's an apple, what else am I supposed to do with it?"

"Throw it away," answered the boy. He was about to throw it into the woods only to have it intercepted by the brunette. "She's evil," he reminded.

Regina looked from the apple to Henry then back to the piece of fruit, "So if I take a bite of this I'm going to fall asleep only to be awakened by true love's kiss. If it doesn't kill me first, right?" The child nodded, "Promise me you'll be the first one to try."

Before Henry could realize what she was doing, Regina bit into the apple. It was rich in flavor and juicier than others. She slowly chewed to show that it was a regular piece of fruit however when she swallowed her eyes widened. Suddenly Regina collapsed to the ground, eyes closed, and the apple still in hand. Henry let out a cry, sinking to his knees while desperately trying to shake her awake.

He couldn't believe this was happening. It not only confirmed his mother was the Evil Queen but the one saviour, meant to change everything back to the way it was, was now gone. He called out her name, shaking her harder and harder yet nothing happened.

Suddenly Regina's eyes flew open. She grabbed Henry by the waist, pulled him to the ground and began tickling him. When he burst out laughing she stopped, "Told you it wasn't poisoned."

"It means you're the one meant to change things."

"Ugh," Regina fell back against the grass, the palms of her hands covering her eyes, "Henry, come on. Storybrooke is Storybrooke. I know you want it to be something special but it's not." He opened his mouth to protest but the relic hunter wouldn't hear any of it. "Come on, I'm taking you back to school."

**Later that evening**

Tossing the little belongings she had into her car Regina looked over the inn one last time. While its appearance didn't look like much, the place had been rather cozy. A small part of her would miss it since its bed grew to be more comfortable the longer she slept in it. Unfortunately real life was calling and she still had a job to attend to. Once she was back in Boston she could finally do her homework on the packet Martin had sent her. Perhaps it would lead her back to Storybrooke. There was still the mystery of Mr. Gold to content with.

While her mind continued to wander she failed to notice she still had Henry's book until she was turning onto Main Street. Mentally cursing, Regina did an illegal u-turn, with no one on the street she doubted the sheriff would chase her down, and headed to the mayor's house. Arriving at the pristine house it felt as cold and uninviting as the first time she saw it.

"Miss Mills," stated the mayor, the surprise was obvious in her voice.

"Hi," said Regina, "Not here to bother you. Henry left his book behind and I figured it'd be better to drop it off than send it." She handed over the thick leather bound book. Emma examined it, never having seen it before in her son's possession. "It's his favorite from the way he talks about it. Though there are a few pages missing."

"I'll let him know," said Emma absently. She was transfixed by this new novel. How had it come into Henry's possession? And what was it about? It felt vaguely familiar and sent an unnerving feeling through her fingertips. Finding the strength to pull herself away from the book she looked at the brunette, "Is there anything else?"

"Nope," said Regina, "although there is one thing. I wanted to thank you for showing me the town and for the apples. They were delicious. You didn't have to do that." She didn't add in the part of seeing how well her son turned out to be and the joy he was for fear it would be taken in the wrong manner. One could never be too careful when it came to the mayor.

She bid the mayor goodbye and walked back to her car. Much like the first time she had dropped Henry off, she once more looked to the window to find him watching her again. A wave was their final goodbye. Soon she was traveling down Main Street and towards Boston. However it appeared fate had other things in store. Her car didn't break down in front of the town sign instead a wolf jumped out from the woods onto the road. The animal's sudden appearance forced her to slam on the brakes.

The jeep screeched to a halt mere inches away from the wolf. Regina got out of her car, her heart pounding like a jackhammer in her chest. She looked to the animal to make sure it was alright. Instead it looked at her once, sneezed, and ran back into the woods. But not before its large golden eyes locked onto her brown ones. The brief exchange sent a chill tingling down her spine.

She was about to get back into her car when a flash of light caught her eye. Looking to the sign she saw nothing out of the ordinary. Something awakened her curiosity causing her to slowly walk forward. Unable to shake the feeling she was being watched she kept her eyes peeled for anything unusual. Maybe the wolf had friends following it and were circling around her now, waiting for the ideal moment to pounce. It wouldn't be the first time she found herself squaring off with a pack of wild animals. Then the flash appeared again. This time a little bit away from the sign.

Nearing the town border, she shifted her weight to have most of it on her back foot. Her muscles were tense and ready for anything. Looking around to find no signs of the wolf nearby she pushed aside the uneasy feeling. Part of her said she should have brought the flashlight with her but it was already too late. Inches away from the border a blue shimmer of light appeared in midair. The bright color glowed against the stark night.

Slowly and carefully raising a hand Regina drew closer. Suddenly she felt something cool against her fingertips. Her contact caused the blue shimmer to come back. She moved her hand until it was flat against the invisible surface, the feeling was indescribable. Then the unexpected happened. A flash went off blinding her with its intense white glow and the world stood still.

* * *

**Shouldn't have eaten those apples, Regina! See what happened? Yeah! And Emma plays nice just to kick them out before anyone gets dessert. I definitely want to be her dinner guest. So! Are we liking the story or am I doing a terrible job?**


	4. Chapter 4

**Un-betaed so all mistakes are mine**

* * *

Image…

_A woman looked over her shoulder fear written all over her face. She clutched a small bundle to her chest. Her heart pounded uncontrollably at the sound of a raven's call. In the dead of night she couldn't figure out from where the noise came. Scrambling to pick up the pace the woman knew she had little time left. Her hold on the bundle turned desperate as she ran through the forest. Suddenly the cry of a baby jilted her nerves and she quickly quieted it, soothing the babe the only way a mother could. The raven wasn't allowed to hear even if it wasn't the one. A strand of honey brown hair fell free from behind her hood but it went ignored by the woman. Hitching up the hem of her dress, the woman climbed through the ruins of fallen trees to reach her destination._

After…

_A tearful goodbye. The woman whispered loving words to her babe. The child she would never have the chance of raising. It was better this way. She kept repeating that over and over in her mind. One day, maybe, they'd be reunited but for now all that mattered was getting her baby to safety and away from the clutches of a madwoman. Pressing a wet kiss to the sleeping child's forehead the mother handed the babe over. This part of her journey was over. She couldn't go any further. The sudden shifting caused the babe to awaken, its large brown eyes stared at its mother, silently wondering what was going on. Slowly the mother faded from view, tears running down her face._

Image…

_Spring had arrived. Flowers bloomed around the castle. Birds were singing their joyous melody. The village was in a good mood as they had every reason to be. The queen had given birth to a beautiful baby girl. No one could be happier than the parents. Today was the day of the celebration. Everyone was allowed into the castle to bring a gift to the child. Unfortunately it wasn't meant to be. Moments before the celebrations began the sky began to darken. An unnatural storm moved in. Thunder shook the sky._

_Suddenly a giant ball of black smoke rained down on the castle. Guards rushed to see what it was, hands on their weapons as they were prepared to defend the royal family. Except they never stood a chance. A long reptilian tail swept them aside. Still shrouded in the smoke the creature unleashed green flames at the castle. Chaos followed. People screamed and ran for shelter as parts of castle crumbled._

_No one noticed the witch walking into the castle. Her horns gleamed on top of her head as she strolled in. Guards rushed at her only to be blasted aside by powerful lightning. Magic reduce the castle's defenses to rumble. _

Flashed…

_A raven haired woman screamed. She clutched her newborn baby girl to her chest while her eyes watched her husband fall to the ground. His sword cluttered to the ground, useless against magic. Gleaming eyes observed the man struggle to get back to his feet. He was foolishly brave. Without warning the witch swung her staff round. It met the king's jaw and knocked him unconscious. He fell to the ground, bleeding from his mouth, and unable to protect his wife and child any longer._

_The queen screamed and while still clutching her baby for dear life she grabbed her husband's sword. "You'll never have her!" She was fiercely determined not to lose her firstborn. _

_Swinging the sword at the witch, it passed through the illusion forcing her to move with the momentum. Unbeknownst to the queen, the witch appeared behind her. Magical strips bound around the queen's body stopping her fall. She was trapped. Panic set in. The queen struggled, desperate to break free and run with her child except she was overpowered. The magic was too strong. She helplessly watched the blonde witch rip her child away._

"_What a beautiful girl," said the witch. A finger caressed the baby's cheek gently._

"_Let go of her!" screamed the queen. Her fighting continued against the bounds regardless of how futile it was._

"_You will see her again, my dear Snow," said the witch. Her gaze shifted to look at the queen, "But she will no longer be your Emma." Smoke poured around the witch's feet. The queen screamed, begging for the return of her child. Seconds later the witch was gone and the queen fell to the floor. Her chains vanished. She was left alone to weep for the loss of their child as she crept over to her husband._

Through…

_As far as the eye could see there was war. War had spilled into the once beautiful and peaceful lands. Good clashed against evil. Magic overpowered simple soldiers. The land was stained with blood and ash. And now approaching on the last standing castle, evil tasted victory. _

_An elderly blonde haired witch walked through the crowd of her soldiers. A grin on her face. This was what true power was. When she stopped she looked to the castle. Twenty eight years ago she had come here to lay claim to a precious gift. Her eyes drifted to the side when she felt another presence. Her grin widened. Beside her was her daughter with her rich blonde hair done up in a tight bun. Her body was hugged by a beautiful red dress, a corset wrapped around her torso, and beautiful golden vambraces covered her arms. _

"_Mother," she greeted coolly, "allow me to tear down the last threat to your rule."_

_The older witch smiled, "Patience, my dear Emma."_

"_The longer we wait the more time they have to escape."_

_The witch chuckled, "There is no place left to run. We have them cornered. Don't we, Cora?" The witch looked to another approaching woman._

_The woman nodded her agreement. Her once rich honey brown curls were beginning to gray and the muscles in her face were pulled tight around her mouth. "It's time, Maleficent. Send Emma to bring down Snow White and her husband."_

Her…

"_Emma?" a weak voice questioned. Lying on the ground bleeding from the fight was Snow. In her hands she still held onto her sword but her arms were too exhausted to continue fighting. She looked in disbelief at the witch. "You are my Emma." A weak, relieved smile tugged at her lips._

"_Are you delusional?" huffed the witch. "My mother is Maleficent, the new queen of this world." Her grip tightened on her staff, magic buzzed around her fingers._

"_What has she done to you?" whispered Snow. Slowly the queen made it to her feet, her sword was raised and pointed at the younger woman. _

_Emma wasted no time in knocking the weapon from the queen's hands. Her staff was alit with magic and without warning she blasted the woman backwards. "Don't make this any harder on yourself. Surrender now or-" Before she could finish someone struck her from behind. It caused her magic to falter as she stumbled away._

"_Your fight's with me, witch," said James. He tightened his grip on the broadsword. _

_Emma straightened her stance and laughed. A bolt of lightning went flying at the king but he managed to dodge it just in time. He charged at her with his sword raised. It clashed against her staff, sending sparks into the air. "Foolish old man."_

"_James don't!" yelled Snow. She struggled to get to her feet. She had to stop her husband before something bad happened. "It's Emma, James. Our Emma," she breathed, tears stung her eyes._

_The words took him back for a moment. When he looked to the witch he found himself looking into familiar eyes. His heart stopped. "Emma?" he whispered. He lowered his weapon, tears coming to his eyes at the sight of seeing his daughter grown up, "We thought you were dead." He raised a hand to touch her cheek, a light laugh escaped him._

_Slowly Snow was limping her way over to them. This was a day she never expected to see again. Her daughter was alive. Had been alive for all these years. And now she was back. The queen rested a hand on her husband's shoulder, steadying her balance with his help. "Emma," said Snow._

_The witch, on the other hand, was confused. Seeing the king and queen felt different. This wasn't right. Whoever they were referring to wasn't her. Confusion filled her mind. "No," she whispered shaking her head. This wasn't real. It was a trick. Emma shook her head harder. Suddenly she slammed the blunt end of her staff into the ground. It brought forth a shockwave that blasted the king and queen backwards. As they lay on the ground, giving into unconsciousness, the battle was over. Good was finally defeated._

Mind…

_An execution loomed on the horizon. It was just a day away. She had to hurry. Emma raced through the underground tunnels. There had to be a way to put a stop to this. Everything she had known was a lie. She waved aside the aid of a guard, barking an order at him to straighten up or face the gallows. He did as he was told. Descending farther into the underground she followed the curved path until she came to a small room._

"_Is it ready?" she asked the woman._

_Cora rose to her feet, potion in hand, and held it up to the light. The clear liquid inside began to turn blue. A smile spread to her lips, "Yes. Do you have everything you need?"_

"_It's being moved to the forest now. What happens if it doesn't work? What happens if tomorrow comes and goes like my mother wants it to?" Emma paced the room, her fingers picked at each other as her nerves grew._

"_Emma," Cora stopped the younger woman, "You can do this. Maleficent raised you as her daughter and you are stronger than her. Your magic will overpower hers."_

"_But-"_

_Cora cut her off with a firm shake of her head, "Go to the forest. Cast the spell. If anyone can stop this, it's you." _

_It took a moment before Emma found her nerves calming. She nodded and embraced the elderly woman. "Thank you, Cora."_

"_You're welcome. Now go, I'll distract Maleficent."_

Regina woke up with a start. A gasp tore at her lungs before she coughed. Sitting up she found light coming from somewhere. It presence ignited a headache that hammered against her temples. The brunette held her head in her hands. What the hell happened? The last thing she remembered was heading out of town, being cut off by a wolf, then a flash of light.

"I see you're awake," the accented voice drifted in causing her to wince. The headache increased its throbbing.

Regina looked up to find bars blocking her path. "What? You arrest me for not taking up your offer?"

"No," said Graham, "I found you passed out on the road."

"Oh so that's why I'm in prison and not in a hospital. Great logic."

The sheriff was about to explain his reasoning for putting Regina in a cell when footsteps echoed down the hall. They could only belong to one person. Graham turned around in time to see the mayor strolling in.

"Graham, we have a prob-" Her words faded when she caught sight of brunette sitting in jail. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"That's what I'm wondering too," said Regina, rising to her feet. She did her best to ignoring the pounding in her head but she got a feeling her headache was going to be the least of her worries today.

"Where is he?" asked Emma, her voice cold and the brunette felt an accusation wasn't far off.

"Who?"

"Henry. Where is my son?" Her voice rose slightly as she felt anger coursing through her veins. This was the second time her son went missing. Her greatest fear was losing him and now she found that his birthmother is still in town. It infuriated her.

"Beats me," shrugged Regina, "I spent the night here. You should really wash these sheets."

"I swear if anything happened to Henry, this cell will be last thing on your mind."

"Hey, you're threatening me for something I have nothing to do with. Maybe you should keep a better eye on your kid." Emma shot the brunette a glare that most people would have recoiled from however Regina shrugged, "I'm just saying." Regina sighed at the tension in the air. "Alright listen, let me out and I'll find him for you."

"What makes you think I'm going to trust you?" asked Emma in disbelief.

"Well unless your sheriff has a better plan," started Regina, "It's what I do. I find things especially things that don't want to be found."

"Henry's a person not a thing."

"Really?" deadpanned Regina, "I hadn't noticed."

**An Hour Later**

Running a hand through her short dark locks Regina heaved a sigh. How had she gotten herself into this? She should be in Boston right now but for some reason she's still here. And to make matters worse her car had been impounded. The mayor made it perfectly clear she wasn't going to be getting it back until Henry was found which added to the mess. On top of that she was unable to recall what happened last night. One minute she was driving towards Boston the next she woke up in jail. It wasn't the first time she found herself in a cell. Over the course of her adventures she weaved in and out of prison due to either local customs or minor mistakes. Either way she thought she'd be free of this town in the morning.

Looking at the school the relic hunter noticed nothing unusual about it. A small voice in her mind told her to start looking at Storybrooke from a different angle, that perhaps Henry was right and this town held more to it than everyone else saw. But it was that voice she silenced. Small towns were just that, nothing more, nothing less. She firmly believed it was all in the child's imagination. Then what about the images she saw, whispered the voice. Clearly she had been reading too much of Henry's book.

Shaking her head free from the distractions Regina entered the school, thinking his teacher might know where he is. It was a long shot seeing how many students didn't like to bond with their teachers except she had a gut feeling Henry's teacher was different somehow. Patiently waiting until class ended Regina waited for the students to file out before she entered. A short haired teacher was clearing the textbooks off the tables.

"You're Henry's teacher right?" asked Regina.

The woman turned around, Regina thought she was too young to be a teacher, and smiled, "Yes, I'm Miss Blanchard." Her smile faded a moment later, "I'm sorry Henry wasn't in school today."

"I know," said Regina, "I'm looking for him. I know it's a long shot but do you have any idea where he might be?"

Miss Blanchard thought it over. She knew Henry was in school every day but he didn't have many friends. Occasionally she had seen him around town after school. "He doesn't have many hideouts. Try his castle. He's usually there after school."

"His castle?"

"It's an old playground by the bay. Not many kids go there anymore," Miss Blanchard told her. "For some reason he loves it."

Regina gave her thanks and left. True enough she found the child sitting within a wooden structure after twenty minutes. Relief washed over her. A smile came on her lips as she made her way over to him. "So is this for boys only or can I enter, your majesty?" she asked softly, a hand rested on the wooden pillar.

At the sound of her voice Henry whirled around. A giant smile came to his lips but then it quickly faded. "It depends," he answered, looking back to the sea. "What's your business in my court?"

"Tough guy, huh?" muttered Regina. Two could play this game, "Well the people aren't very happy when their king goes missing."

"You mean _her_," said Henry.

"She is your mother, kid," said Regina only to have Henry shake his head. She sighed softly and climbed onto the playground. "She's really worried about you. I think that speaks to her motherly nature, don't you?"

"No," replied the boy, "She just always wants me to be where she thinks I should be. I'm hardly ever allowed out of her sight."

The relic hunter took a seat next to him. "That's what mothers do. They watch their children like hawks." Silence passed between them before she spoke again, "It's not so bad, kid. I never got to know my mother. She died in a car accident when I was four. My father was left alone in raising me but he wasn't home very often. Your mom is willing to be at home whenever you need her to be. It shows how much she cares for you."

"She doesn't care about me," said Henry shaking his head, "She's the Evil Queen. She took me away from you!"

"Henry," Regina's tone warned him from going down that path, "You know that's not true. And one day when you're older I'll explain to you why I did what I did. But your mother loves you so let me take you home again."

"No, I'm never going back there!" yelled Henry jumping to the sand covered ground. "You don't know what it's like. My life sucks. She's trying to control me like everyone else in this town. There's nothing I can do without her permission."

"You're ten, kid, not eighteen. Naturally there are going to be rules."

"You don't get it!" argued Henry, "Everyone's trapped here and unless you stay evil will always be winning. She wins at everything. The entire town is afraid of her. She took away everyone's happy ending."

"The book isn't real," said Regina, "It's exactly the same as the other fairytales."

Henry opened his mouth to argue when he suddenly closed it, "You read the book?" Regina nodded and before she could say anything he started talking, "It's not the same. Why didn't you see what I did?" He paced in the sand then snapped his fingers, "It's because you don't believe. That's why the book isn't showing you the truth." He jumped up and down while removing his backpack in order to get it off faster. Instantly he pulled the thick leather bound book free, "This is more than just a book. I thought it was just a book too in the beginning. But then I saw things change."

"Books don't-" began Regina only to stop. She couldn't say books don't change or else she'd be throwing every adventure down the drain. Her treasure hunts were sparked by books, dairies mostly or an ancient piece of text. Each changed the closer she came to the truth. They held the truth to each priceless artifact she found that history told never existed. The small voice in her mind told her the child was onto something or else he wouldn't be her son or Daniel's.

"Henry," she rose to her feet and walked towards him. The boy feared she wasn't going to believe, that she might hold him for crazy, that he should be seeing someone. Problem was he already saw a therapist and it did nothing to lessen his belief. Large brown eyes watched her kneel in front of him, she rested her hands on his shoulders. "I'll make you a deal. If you go back to your mother and promise not to run away again, I'll stay and help you figure this out."

Her words stunned him, "You meant it? You believe me?"

Regina chose her next words carefully, "I think you might be onto something. But if it's nothing I'm going back to Boston, got it?"

Henry nodded. Without warning he threw his arms around her neck in a tight embrace, "I knew you'd be the one."

**Mayor's Manor**

Brown locked with matching brown eyes as the two figures stood in front of the pristine white door. Both felt uncomfortable waiting for the mayor and while Henry could simply walk inside he wasn't keen on doing so. Regina reached to press the bell again when the door opened. For a moment Regina thought it was pulled open by an invisible force and they'd be left to explore a haunted mansion. A second later the familiar face of the mayor appeared. Her stern look was quickly washed away by relief when she saw Henry. Once again she gave him a hug which wasn't returned by him.

"Go inside, Henry," Emma told him softly, brushing her fingers through his hair. He looked back at Regina who nodded and reluctantly the boy went inside. "I hope this won't become a habit," stated the mayor, crossing her arms over her chest. Whatever warmth of emotion she had for her son vanished instantly. Regina opened her mouth to answer only to be cut off. "You can go back to Boston now, Miss Mills." The words weren't a suggestion but an order.

"Right," said Regina stepping off the porch, "Take care of him."

Emma's lips tightened into a thin line, "That's what mothers do."

Not wanting to stay longer among the uncomfortable tension Regina began to walk down the stone path leading to the sidewalk. Halfway down she stopped and turned around, "You're welcome, by the way." She resumed her walk, "See you tomorrow, Madame Mayor," said the brunette with a wave. Her words indicated she had no plans of returning to Boston.

The mayor's green eyes widened for a split second before glaring at the retreating woman's back. She practically stormed into the house and went straight for her study. Pouring herself a glass of cider, she set it down roughly on her wooden desk before yanking open the top drawer. Inside rested the envelope from Sidney, a grin spread to her dark red lips.

* * *

**Bet you didn't see that coming? Yes that's right it was Cora running away with her baby *coughReginacough* in the forest. Maleficent kidnapped Emma and raised her as her own evil child. Evil defeated Good. And now this curse brought on by Emma. Oh snap! What's next?**


End file.
